A ?difficult? mathematics paper was the cause of distress on Monday, when some of the 600,000 boys and girls appearing for Madhyamik 2005 complained that one question was out of syllabus, and some others were too tricky.

Examinees complained that ?nearly 20 per cent? of the questions were ?difficult?, and at least one was not covered by the syllabus.

Question 1(b) had not been taught in class, it was alleged. The sum was in the objective section of the paper, but its solution was long. So, even those who could work out the problem were unhappy. ?The question carried only two marks but it took us a long time to solve it,? complained a student at a south Calcutta centre.

?We will sit with examiners to determine if it was out of syllabus. All steps will be taken to ensure students do not suffer,? said Dibyendu Hota, president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.

Hota denied the question paper was unduly difficult. ?Barring one question, students and teachers were happy with this year?s paper,? he said. But headmasters did contact him to complain that ?questions carrying 13 marks were difficult for students of average merit?.

Teachers place the blame on standards of teaching in Madhyamik schools. ?The Board, in an attempt to upgrade the syllabus, made changes in the pattern of questions two years ago. But no measures have been taken to introduce modern teaching techniques,? said Amal Bhowmick, a senior teacher of South Point School.

Students would not be able to answer the new-format questions if they are not taught how to handle them, added a teacher of a Bhowanipore school.

Meanwhile, the Board took precautions against paper leaks by shutting down photocopy centres with the help of police. Last year, minutes after the math exam started, a copy of the question paper was given to a TV channel.

Exam day also saw unrest on the city?s southern fringes, where the Board is taking action against schools that set up an exam venue on the terrace of a school building without informing the authorities.

There was also tension in Burdwan, where examinees at one centre ransacked a classroom when they were locked in after the exam.

The authorities demanded damages for broken fans and furniture on the day of the life science exam. Police brought the situation under control.